


Green Green Green

by louissunshines



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Army, Art, Battle, Boyfriends, Captain Niall Horan, Castles, Firenze | Florence, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Harry Styles Loves Louis Tomlinson, Historical, Historical Inaccuracy, Historical References, Implied/Referenced Torture, Italy, Knight Harry Styles, Knight Louis Tomlinson, Louis Tomlinson Calls Harry Styles Pet Names, Louis Tomlinson Loves Harry Styles, M/M, Maps, Morse Code, One Direction References, Painting, Past Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Politics, Romance, Soulmates, Soulmates Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Torture, Venezia | Venice, watercolor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:20:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28311516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louissunshines/pseuds/louissunshines
Summary: “Louis didn’t know why he was shaking so much. Maybe it was the wintry wind, biting at his exposed neck. Maybe it was the delicate layer of frost that lined the apples hanging off their trees. Maybe it was because a few paces away stood a tall man with long, curly hair that reached his back. Maybe it was because at that exact moment, the tall man turned to face him, locking his deep green eyes with Louis blue ones.”orMedieval AU where Louis and Harry are enemy knights from different provinces in Italia
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

_The sound of swords clashing was roaring in his ears. Louis dodged a strike on his left, and blocked another on his right. The roar of fallen men grew, as the battle raged on all around him. Parry, parry, strike, block. Louis fell into the familiar rhythm of battle. Block, block, “oof”. Louis' body was slammed into the ground, an enemy knight shoved on top of him. He looked up, into the most gorgeous pair of green eyes he’d ever seen._

“Oops” Louis felt a large body fall on top of him right as he goes to block another strike from an enemy knight. Louis looks up, and is met with the gorgeous green eyes and long curly hair of an enemy knight.  
  
“Uh-hi” was all Louis could get out, as he was still gasping for breath. The knight was much larger than him and had knocked the wind wind right out of him. Louis expects to be struck down, as clearly this knight has the advantage. However, this knight does the opposite and scrambles to help him off the ground. Louis looks up at him surprised. He expects to see anger, or resentment in this knights face. But, when his blue eyes make contact with the knights green ones, all Louis sees is a kind smile on his face. Then, they were reminded of the battle ranging on around them and soon they were lost to each other in the sea of knights. It wasn’t long before the battle was called off, the enemy Lord limping off in the other direction. Louis fought hard, and was proud of his order as they usually weren’t this successful. They had won this time, and regained an orchard and a few farmlands for the small province of Lucca.  
Lucca was a province in Italia with few Lords and a small population of peasants. Because it was such a small province, it was constantly battling enemies from both sides, wanting the land for themselves. This time, they were fighting the giant army of Firenze, from the province of Florence. The Lord of Firenze is a nasty Lord, greedy beyond belief, and constantly picking on Louis Lord’s army, pushing the borders ever so slightly each time.  
  
Louis joins his order in victory to celebrate, but he finds himself wondering about the smiling green eyed knight. Louis looks at the fading army of Firenze, searching for the long curly hair of the green eyed knight, but to no avail. He shook his head, wondering why he was s curious in the first place, and then jogged to catch up to his order. However, on the walk back to his castle, Louis found himself wondering why the knight just smiled at him, and if he too was searching for the other in the sea of knights. He shook his head again, as he knew that was next to impossible. It was rare for other knights to fancy men, and even if they did, they rarely acted on it. Public image and the Church were far too important in these times. He tried his best to focus on anything else for the next hour, but no matter how hard he tried, Louis could not get those sparkling green eyes out of his head. The rest of the evening was a blur, and soon Louis was lying in bed, not trying hard enough to stop dreaming of those perfect green eyes. 

The next few month were a blur. Louis focused on training, and found himself getting stronger. He thought if he couldn't get taller, then he might as well get stronger. By the time Louis saw the green eyed knight again, summer had turned into a deep, cold winter that killed more knights than the enemies did. They were fighting Firenze, and losing significantly. The barren winter had brought a drought in resources in the province of Lucca, so they were a much smaller army. Louis spotted the green eyed knight a few minutes into the battle, and suddenly found himself fighting harder to move closer to him. It was difficult for Louis to concentrate on fighting the enemy and look for the green eyed knight, but Louis was stubborn. He didn't know what was coming over him, but at this very moment he did not care. His whole being was drawn to this knight, even if he didnt know why. He caught the green eyed knight glancing at him as Louis pushed through the crowd of knights, and each time they made eye contact Louis heart beat just a little faster. He tried to still it but nothing seemed to work. He hoped he could play it off as physical exhaustion.  
  
Suddenly, the green eyed knight was right next to him, and Louis could hardly focus on the knight that he was battling. He didn't know why he had the urges to get as close as possible to this knight, but it just felt right. The green eyed knight seemed to notice Louis, and quickly turned his body to face Louis’s. They locked eyes, and the enemy knight flashed him the same dimple smile as before. Louis weakly return the smile, but was drawn in by the knights gorgeous green eyes. He couldn't look away; he was mesmerized.  
The battle melted away, and it was just the two of them, sparring while never breaking away from each other's eyes. Louis' heart was beating in his ears, and he was breathless but not from the exertion of the battle. It took a few minutes for Louis to remember where he was, but once he did he started to actually fight this knight. Alluring smile or not, this man was the enemy. The green eyed knights smile dissipated once he realized Louis was actually sparring with him. He fought back, and Louis quickly realized that he was no match for this enemy. Thankfully, Louis soon hears the horns of retreat and quickly turns and runs to his order. Louis knew that they had lost, but he was thankful for the distraction as the other knight was two seconds away from killing him. When he get back to the tents, he heard the reports. Firenze had pushed them quite far back, close to his Lord's castle. Louis fought the urge to look back for that stupidly handsome knight, hoping in his heart thay Firenze would be satisfied with this gain and not attack soon.  
  
He was sadly mistaken. Less than a fortweek later, Louis found himself battling Firenze again, this time dangerously close to his Lord’s castle. He tried his best not to search for the green eyed knight, and this time it seemed to be working. Louis didn’t see him anywhere in sight, and was thankful for the distraction of the advancing army. His battle bliss was soon over as again he heard the horns of retreat. Louis turned to follow his fellow knights, when he felt a hand on his arm, pulling him back.  
“Wait!” the green eyed knight whispered, seem lying arriving out of nowhere. Then he slid a small scrap of paper into Louis hand. Louis felt shivers down his body as their hands touched for a split second. “For you,” Then, with one last look in his eyes, the green eyed knight made his way towards the enemy army and was soon lost in the crowd. Louis jogged back to the castle, battling his emotions along the way. On one hand, he was eager to see what the green eyed knight had slipped him. Maybe is was a declaration of love an affection, something that Louis could never hope to get. On the other hand, he was worried that he was being threatened. Maybe this knight had found where his mother and sisters were hiding and wanted money in exchange for their freedom. Whichever the case, Louis hurried back to his room as fast as he can. He didn't dare look at it yet, too many prying eyes. Louis waited until he was alone in his quarters to take the note out of his sleeve. In the light of the sunset, he unfolded the cream coloured parchment and admired the sloppy handwritten note before him. 

_My dear blue eyed knight,  
I am unable to sleep this night as your face haunts my dreams. I cannot close my eyes without seeing your bright blue eyes. I know not of your name, but that does not matter in the slightest. There is something extraordinary about you, and I must find out what it is. If you will have me, I will be waiting in the orchard on the border all night. Your presence would be the greatest joy of my life thus far.  
\- H _

──

Louis didn’t know why he was shaking so much. Maybe it was the wintry wind, biting at his exposed neck. Maybe it was the delicate layer of frost that lined the apples hanging off their trees. Maybe it was because a few paces away stood a tall man with long, curly hair that reached his back. Maybe it was because at that exact moment, the tall man turned to face him, locking his deep green eyes with Louis blue ones.  
  
The knight took a step towards him, and his lips turned up slightly in a satisfied smile. “You came,” he whispered, barely audible above the whistling wind. Of course he came, Louis thought to himself. He had spent the hours prior re reading the note and wondering if he had in fact dreamt it. But, everytime Louis had convinced himself that his green eyed knight was a figment of his imagination, he would look down at the parchment in his hand, and study the messy handwriting. It wasn’t a dream, and that scared Louis more. His enchantment with this knight, this man, was wrong in so many ways. He would be tortured and killed immediately if the others knew his thoughts and hopes. However, standing here, the green eyed knight standing in front of him smiling slightly at Louis panicked features, he felt more at peace than he ever thought possible.  
  
“Of course I came” Louis finally whispered, “I simply had to know who this clumsy knight was that almost squashed me months ago.”  
The green eyed knight smiled wider and let out a low chuckle, “Ah yes, of course. My letter had absolutely nothing to do with why you are here, in the middle of winter with an enemy knight that could just as easily capture and torture you for information about your Lord.” Louis smiled at that, as clearly the green eyed knight was joking. There was nothing alarming or frankly scary about the other knight; his dimples and crinkled eyes were a dead giveaway of his true intentions.  
  
“If you were to kidnap me, I dare say you would address me as your ‘dear blue eyed knight’ in your letter.” Louis smiled up at the knight, who was a good few inches taller than him, yet the least intimidating knight that Louis had ever come in contact with.  
  
“Nay,” the green eyed knight leaned down until their foreheads mere breaths apart, and lowered his long dark lashes to tangle with Louis, “I would not dare to call you so much as dear, if I knew your true name.” Louis could feel his hot breath on his face, and it took everything in him to utter his next words.  
  
“L-Louis,” he shakily exhaled, then locked eyes with those daring green ones, “you may call me Sir Louis.” The green eyed knight smiled even wider, if that was even possible.  
  
“Sir Louis,” He repeated, and Louis almost fainted from the sound of his name coming from those dark pink lips, “Fitting, your name is. Sounds soft and sweet, just like your eyes.” Louis' skin started to tingle as the long haired knight stared into his eyes, and Louis matched his look of yearning.  
  
“And what may I call you, my dark, green eyed suitor?”  
  
“You can call me whatever pleases you most darling, although most call me Harry,” the whispered voice was husky and sweet, but Louis laughed at the romanticism of it all.  
“So Harry,” He said with a grin, “shall I call you sappy, as thats how you sound in your letter. Or how about stupid, for risking your life and limb to profess your adoration for a knight you said all of three words to.” Harry huffed at Louis remarks, and smiled as he answered.  
  
“What can I say, I was quite hopeful. I knew what I was risking, but you Louis are worth it.” That sentiment takes Louis breath away. How is it possible that all of his dreams are coming true? There is a gorgeous, tall, green eyed knight standing in front of him professing his affections. What did Louis ever do to deserve this? Louis was pulled out of his daydreams when Harry grabbed his hand, and pulled him to a pile of rocks that would keep the two hidden from both the wind and prying eyes. They spend the next few hours in utter fascination at each other, with Harry’s large hands occasionally meeting Louis animated ones. Each time this happened, both boys smiled and pulled away, shocked at the sparks that seemed to fly off each others fingers. They did not stop staring at one another until the sun started to peek up over the distant hills, and both knights knew that they had to sneak back into their castles before the guards changed. Neither was eager to leave the other, but soon Louis felt a hand on his shoulder. Harry gave him a small smile, before turning and walking away, leaving Louis skin burning from where Harry’s hand had been just moments ago.


	2. Chapter 2

Louis didn’t take a full breath until he was back inside the castle, past the guards and in the comfort of his own quarters. He was still shaking, although this time from the knowledge of his green eyed knights name. “Harry” he whispered, letting the name roll off his tongue over and over until his mouth was familiar with it. His mind was spinning, and he wasn’t sure it would stop until he saw those deep green eyes once more. A knock on his door startled him back into reality, as he realized that he was not properly dressed for sparring this morning, and had very little time before he would be punished for being late. He shed his layers of coats and thick shirts, before putting on a thin tunic and his Lords emblem for practice. He picked up the pile of still freezing cloths when he noticed a slip of paper peeking from the layers of fabric. He questionably pulled it at it, wondering how it could have gotten there. The paper is thin, and Louis can see the messy handwriting of the man of his dreams on the other side. His breath catches in his throat, and he almost drops the parchment onto the dirt covered floor. He quickly regains his composure and slips the note under his mattress, not having nearly enough time to drink in the words of his dear green eyed knight. Louis rushes out of his quarters, and joins the rest of his order in the courtyard for practice. 

──

“You okay?” Louis looked up to see his Captain, Niall, standing over him with concern clouding his eyes.  
  
“M’alright, just a bit distracted honestly… lots on my mind.” Louis takes his captains hand and brushes the dirt off his tunic.  
  
“A bit distracted? You were nearly beheaded by Rowan, and he’s barely fifteen!” Captain Niall lets out a chuckle, and Louis smiles shyly and looks down at the dirt beneath him. Images of Harry had been flooding his brain since the discovery of the letter, and he can hardly contain his excitement to return to his quarters and read his knight's words.  
  
“My apologies, Captain. I promise I will remain completely focused from this moment on.” Louis stood up as straight as he possibly could, gave his Captain a nod, and returned to sparring with Rowan.  
  
Two hours and one quick dunk in the river later, Louis finds himself in his quarters, holding the parchment in his hands once again. His hands are shaking, in both nervousness and excitement. He isn’t sure what to expect in this letter, but he has many many hopes. The loud, racing beat of his heart brings him out of his daydreams, and he carefully unfolds the note. The handwriting is smudged and messy; it looks as though it was written in a hurry. 

_Louis, my dear Louis. How am I so lucky to be graced with your presence tonight. You look so majestic sitting in front of me, eyes drinking in the early signs of sunrise. I would give anything to stay here forever, huddled against these rocks, so close together. Watching your deep, satisfied breaths, I want nothing more than to hold you against my chest, and feel your heartbeat with mine. I want you, more than I think is possible for one man to want another. If your feelings are even slightly like my own, please meet me again tonight. I cannot bear the thought of waiting until another battle to stare into your beautiful blue eyes. Please, meet me under the stars tonight. I’ll wait all night my dear.  
H _

Louis could hardly contain his grin. He kept reading the letter over and over, staring at the lines where Harry said that he wanted him. Louis wants Harry, it's as simple as that. Well, nothing about their situation is simple, them being emeny knights and all. But, Louis wants nothing more than to be held in those strong arms, he wants to run his hands through his long curly hair.  
  
He wants to kiss him, kiss those dark pink lips that did not stop smiling all night. Louis is so giddy, he was practically glowing at the evening meal. Most of the other knights thought nothing of it, but a few shot him confused looks. Louis hoped and prayed that no one would ask, I mean what would he tell them? That he was secretly meeting up with an enemy knight that wanted to be with him, as more than just a companion? He would be declared a traitor of the Church and would be exiled, or at worst killed. He has no excuse, and honestly he is not considered to be a very good liar.  
  
Louis ate quickly, shoving the food down so that his mouth was occupied, and slipped some bread into his pockets for later. Soon he is back in the knights den, hurrying to his room. He paced around his small room, which held only his straw mattress and a chest for his armour. He had hours to kill before his rendezvous with Harry, but his mind was spinning. He had to distract himself so he headed back inside the main section of the castle, and found himself in the library. He perused through the books for a while, admiring the beautiful leather bound texts that were each unique. He skimmed the titles until he came to one that he recognized; Dante's Inferno. He had read this one already, as had all literate persons living in Italia. It was uncommon for one to be unfamiliar with the text; even the peasants were informed. He takes the book down from the shelf and walks back to his room, nervously fingering the pages the whole way down the hall. When he gets to his room, he plops down on his bed, staring up at the rafters before opening the book to his favourite part. He begins to read, and quickly finds himself lost in it. Before long, Louis notices that the sun has set. He’s late. He should have left half an hour before sunset, to keep his knight from worrying. Louis heart races, as he wonders how long it has been since the sun set. How long has he been keeping his knight in shining armour waiting? He hurriedly changes into much warmer clothes and sneaks out by the stables. He keeps to the shadows, and waits for the guards to pass before sprinting towards the cover of trees. From there, it's only about an hours walk to the orchard, lesser if he sprints. 

Soon Louis has the orchard in sight. Much to his dismay, there is no other figure in view. Louis cautiously snoops around, looking for signs of Harry. He is just about to call out when a hand grips him tight and pulls him behind the formation of rocks.  
  
“Louis, so glad you could make it.” Harry smirks down at him. Louis takes a breath, still recovering from the fright Harry gave him when he grabbed his arm.  
  
“My apologies Harry, I was... distracted.” Louis shyly looks down, and Harry chuckles.  
  
“Frankly I was getting worried. I thought I had scared you, with my letter.” Louis looks up at Harry and their eyes meet. He takes Harry's large hands in his and whispers  
  
“Scared me? Nay. I was simply so eager for our meeting that I had to distract myself with Dante to pass the time” Louis plants a light kiss on his knight's hands, “I would never turn you down.” Harry’s smile is so bright it seems to light up the orchard around them.  
  
“Good.” is all Harry can whisper after a moment. The he leads Louis to a rock that is suitable to sit on, and wraps his arms around the smaller man. “It brings me so much joy to do this.” Harry sighs, before placing a light kiss on Louis' neck. Louis' breath catches, but quickly settles as the steady beat of Harry's heart and the light breeze on his neck from Harry’s breath relaxes him. He settles in between Harry’s arms, and the rest of the night turns into a blur of soft conversation and cuddles. 

This time, Louis is the one to write a letter. He starts as soon as he gets back to the castle, and finds his handwriting to be incredibly messy as he speeds through the note. The pair has already agreed to meet in two days time, after Harry’s strenuous training weekend. Louis stops writing, and puts the note under his mattress to finish later. He wants to inform Harry of everything that went on while they were apart, and he assumes that it will quickly turn into a letter of longing.  
  
“It’s only two days,” Louis whispers to himself, “You will survive two days apart from a man you met only a few days prior.” He isn’t completely convinced, but he has no other choice. 

He spends the next few days in agony, distracting himself with sparring and reading. The night he meets Harry again, he practically jumps into his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

“I have something for you,” Louis whispers into the soft shoulder of the green eyed knight, “It's a note.” Harry releases Louis from the hug, and puts his hands around the small man's waist. Louis pulls the thick parchment from his coat, and places it in Harry’s hands.  
“Read it when you return home, darling.” Harry nods, and slips the note in his pocket. Then he grabs the smaller man's hand and leads him towards the apple trees. The knights wander through the fruit covered trees, occasionally stopping to pick and eat the fruit that looks just perfectly ripe. Louis takes a moment to admire his knights features that are glowing in the light of the full moon. It doesn’t take long for Harry to notice Louis staring, and he scrunches his face in response. Louis squeezes Harry’s hand, this being the only sort of affection they allow themselves to show out in the open. Even though they have never seen another soul around, they can hide their enclasped hands in the darkness. Anything else would be impossible to argue as anything other than affection.  
  
Besides, Louis isn’t even sure that Harry would want to kiss him. It’s a big step, one neither of the knights have discussed with each other. A kiss would take this friendship of admiration and longing to potentially secret lovers. It breaks Louis' heart that he can never truly admire Harry in the daylight, but he cherished the moments he gets to spend in his arms.  
“What are you thinking about love?” Louis is interrupted from his thoughts by Harry’s warm, deep voice. He looks up at him and sighs.  
  
"Honestly…” Louis bites his lip, “I cannot stop myself from thinking about the future… our future.” Harry’s smile fades.  
  
“We can only be together in secret, but that my dear Louis, does not stop us from loving.” Big strong hands envelope Louis small ones, and Louis smiles.  
  
“You love me?” He asks, tilting his head at the taller man. Harry takes a second to think,  
  
“Falling my dear, definitely falling hard.” Caught up in the moment Louis stands on his toes and plants a quick kiss on the other knights cheek without thinking of the consequences. Luckily for the two knights they are completely alone in the orchard and there are no prying eyes in sight.  
  
“Hmm” Louis sighs contently, “well my green eyed knight, my feelings for you are definitely growing” Harry squeezes his hands, silently communicating to Louis that he is content. Then they continue walking through the orchard. The couple end up spending the rest of the night with hands intertwined, small smiles on their cheeks and quiet whispers of affection. 

Louis spends the next few days feeling utterly content and whole, as he waits until he can see Harry again. The two knights have decided to spend a few days without the other, as you know distance makes the heart grow fonder. In reality, people were starting to get suspicious of Louis and his late night adventures. They decided it was best for them to not see each other for the next few days to throw off the suspicions. However, it seemed to have the opposite effect.  
“Sir Louis! Come sit with me a moment!” Captain Niall shouted to Louis from across the Great Hall. Louis made his way over to Niall while trying to steady his rapidly beating heart. Niall was usually friendly, but he also may have heard the reports of Louis missing from his quarters and wants to confront him about it. Taking a deep breath, Louis makes his way to where Niall is standing in the corner of the room, leaning on a pillar.  
  
“Yes Captain?” His heart is beating so loud Lou is so sure that Niall can hear it too.  
  
“So I heard you’ve been spending nights away from your quarters?” Louis’s breath catches and his heart beats faster, if that's even possible. “Congratulations mate!” Niall claps him on the back. “I just wanted to see which of these fine ladys you’ve been visiting.” Niall points over to the group of ladies on the other side of the Great Hall, who giggle when Louis looks over at them.  
  
“Oh…” Louis takes a deep breath. He doesn’t know. I mean, why would he know? Why would anyone be suspicious of Louis being with another man when it was simply unheard of? No man would even think of acting on their feelings for another man, because the Church would not approve. Of course they think he’s shagging some lady, that's the rational assumption! I mean, he’s an attractive, fit knight that any lady would be attracted to. “Ya um… It’s not one of them, sorry.”  
  
“So who’s the lucky lady then Lou? Are you going to tell us?” Louis shakes his head slightly.  
  
“No um… for now I think I’m going to keep it between them and I. You know, status and all.”  
Niall nods his head approvingly.  
  
“Yes yes, don’t want her ill suited for marriage just because you simply were impatient. I understand.” Niall shakes Louis' hand. “Well it’s not one of those ladies then I think I’ll try for myself” and with that Niall saunters off towards the group of giggling women. Louis laughs and shakes his head, watching his Captain shamelessly flirt. 

The next day Louis is eating his midday meal with some other knights in his order when one pipes up about his own suspicions.  
  
“So Lou, who's the lucky lady?” One of the knights, Stan, asks while the others laugh. “We know you’ve been sneaking out to see one, we just want to know which one she is so we can have her for ourselves. Must be pretty good if you spend all night there am I right?” The other knights laugh in agreement.  
  
“Ya Louis, she must be better than the others if you keep going back, or do you have a new one each night?” The laughter grows and Louis is mortified.  
  
“Erm, um ya it’s been pretty good so far, I mean it's just talking right now.”  
  
“Just talking? Louis mate come on, where's your sense of adventure?” The first knight remarks “Get on with it already!”  
  
“He- I mean we have yet to kiss so I think that will not happen for a long while.” Louis hopes the other didn’t catch his slip up.  
  
“Oi Lou go, get on with it! Man up and kiss her already!” They didn’t. Louis sighs with relief.  
  
“Ya ya, I’ll get to it.” The knights all cheer and pat him on the back but Louis tries desperately to continue his meal and forget that they ever asked. 

Louis is awoken early the next morning by a call to battle, and Louis can’t help but wonder if Firenze is on the other side of the battle lines. On the way to battle, Louis is a ball of nerves as he wonders if his precious green eyed knight is on the other side of fire. The army of Lucca is still quite small and their chances of survival grow slimmer with every fight. Louis' army rounds the hill that shades the orchard he is so familiar with, and his heartbeat quickens. He can see Firenze’s army, and standing at the front is Harry, wearing the colours of a Captain. He can feel his heart in his stomach, as he knows that Harry is now at an added risk. Targeting the Captain means weakening the enemy army, which is why the position is frequently changing. Louis knows the worry in his heart is written clear as day on his face, but the other knights take it as fear for the battle, not for his lover. Louis takes a few deep breaths, trying to relax his racing heart and focus on what he came to do: battle Firenze. Harry’s cries break Louis from his concentration, as Firenze charges at full speed. Harry looks majestic, his long curly hair blowing behind him as he charges at Louis, sword in the air. For a second Louis is scared, as Harry looks angry, his features amplified as he cries for his army to charge. But Harry scans the sea of knights, and finds Louis almost instantly, sending him a quick wink before continuing to yell orders. Louis smiles, and takes off running towards Harry. If he can do anything to protect his lover, it's by fighting him himself.  
  


The battle lasts hours; so long that Louis is shaking from exhaustion. He has spent little time protecting Harry, finding himself having to fight desperately for his own life instead. Louis blocks a knights strike, but is caught off guard by another and is shoved to the ground. If the trumpets of retreat had not blown at that exact moment, Louis would have found himself in a lot more trouble. He looks up, and can see Harry staring at him from a few paces away, a worried look in his eyes. Louis met those dark green eyes with his bright blue ones, giving him a wink and a smile to assure Harry that he was all right. Harry sent him back a wink, but the worried look in his eyes did not fade. It felt as though Harry could see into his soul. Louis shivered, goosebumps covering his skin as he made his way from the ground and back towards his province, looking back once at the curly brown hair flowing from Harry’s ever so distant head.  
When they met up again that night, the mood was much different than the night before. Harry looked stiff, angry almost as he barreled towards Louis.  


  
“You could have gotten yourself killed!” Harry’s voice rumbled throughout the valley “How could you be so reckless?” Harry’s big hands cupped Louis' face as he gazed down at him, his expression a mixture of love and worry.  
  
“I was trying to protect you my love.” Louis whispered, staring into Harry’s eyes.  
  
“By getting yourself killed?” Harry is calmer now, his voice no longer echoing through the orchard “how does that do me any good? Lou if you died I know not what I would do with myself.” Harry looked sad now, and he leaned down until their foreheads were touching. He sighs and closes his eyes briefly, before giving Louis a sad look, “I’m falling in love with you, Lou. I could not bear to lose you.” Louis' breath catches in his throat. Even though this is the second time Harry has said these words, Louis still cannot fully comprehend that Harry is falling for him. A few weeks ago Louis thought that his beautiful green eyed knight was a figment of his imagination and now here he is, standing in front of him, professing his blossoming love for Louis. Louis swallows, trying to form a comprehensive response.  
  
“I - I am falling in love with you too, my dear green eyed knight. And I would not dare to hurt you or risk my own life on purpose. I simply was so caught up in the burning need to protect you that I was paying little attention to anything else. I have so much to lose Harry. You are all I have, all I need. You are what brings me joy, you brighten my life with that beautiful smile of yours and you are all I care for. There is nothing else I need when I have you my love, I -'' Louis rambling is interrupted by Harry as he wraps his arms around him and pulls him in close. Louis relaxes in the strong arms of his knight, and breathes in the scent of him. They stay like that, tangled together in each other's arms, whispering words of affection and staring into each other's souls like there was nothing that mattered more.


	4. Chapter 4

“So, you are the new Captain then,” Louis smirks proudly up at Harry as the sun rises. 

“Um, no not exactly…” Harry chuckles. “They are simply scouting me for Captain. They want to know if I have what it takes. Our current Captain is moving up in years and is looking for a more settled lifestyle.”

“Oh... well, It is a great honour to be Captain.” Louis tried his best to be happy for his knight, but Harry sees right through his teasing demeanor. 

“Fret not my love, for I do not think that I am the man that they are looking for.” Louis' eyes make contact with Harrys and a small smile appears on both the knights faces. “I do not think that they are looking for a Captain that has eyes for anything other than his army.” Louis' smile widens and he wraps his arms around the taller knight's waist. 

“And what does this dashing young scout have eyes for?” Louis smirks, “could it possibly be the handsome, nay beautiful blue eyed knight that stands before him?”

“Aye,” Harry leans down, close enough for Louis to feel his lashes brush against his cheek. “It simply is the beautiful blue eyed knight that stands before me. And this dear knight, is someone who I hold very close to my heart, so close in fact that I wish to be with him only.” Louis' breath catches in his throat. “May I kiss you?” Harry’s eyes swiped down at Louis' lips, a quick gesture that Louis might not have noticed if they were not so close. Fortunately for both of the knights, Harry was a mere breath away. 

Louis responded in the only way his body would let him. He took a breath and leaned up towards Harry until their mouths were connected. It took Harry a moment to fully comprehend what was happening, but his body responded almost immediately and he kissed Louis back with more passion than he thought was possible between two men. The kiss was soft at first, as the two knights explored the feeling of their lips on each other. It did not take long however, before the knights had their arms wrapped around each other and their tongues tangled in their mouths. Harry tasted sweet, like honey, and smelt like a bright meadow of wildflowers in the middle of spring. Louis slid his hands up Harry's body until they were tangled in his hair, and he pulled Harry impossibly closer. The long curls tangled with Louis' fingers, but he did not wish to let go. 

Harry was the one to pull back and draw in a deep breath. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Louis wiped his lips and smiled at Harry. “Was that answer enough?” 

“Nay,” Harry whispered gruffly as he latched his arms around the smaller knight. “You will simply have to tell me one more time.” Harry connected their lips again and took control this time as they kissed. 

“-yes…” Louis breathed out between kisses, “you may kiss me.” He felt Harry laugh in response but did not disconnect their lips for fear of ruining the moment. 

The moment was quickly ruined however when they heard leaves crackle in the distance. It was just the wind, as it had picked up significantly during their kiss, but the sound caused the knights to pull away from each other and take in their surroundings. Clouds were gathering, and the sun was starting to peek out behind a particularly dark cloud. It was almost sun-up, and Louis had a significant journey back to his castle. Harry placed one last kiss on Louis lipids before departing, leaving Louis wondering where the night had gone. 

──

Back at the castle, Louis caught snippets of political conversations of unrest and uprising, He was sitting in a large velvety green armchair in the library, reading up on the early history of poetry in Roma. 

“Nay, Siena will come to our aid, they must!” Someone insisted. The speaker was on the other side of a bookcase from Louis, so he could not identify him. 

“They will not sir, they know that Firenze is much too strong. We will lose, and if our loyalties lie with Siena then we will die.” Another voice, calmer and deeper, stepped in. 

“Nay!! Siena will aid us! They will remain loyal to us! Princess Alexandrina did not marry that insufferable Prince Marcelo of Siena for them to turn their backs on us now! We are on the brink of war with Firenze, and even though our lives may not have value to Siena, this land must. Lucca will give Siena the advantage over Firenze that they need to break through! I know Siena will aid us, they must! Even though Louis could not see the two speakers, he could imagine the second shaking his head. 

“I hope that is true sir, but I fear that Siena has no concern for Lucca or her wellbeing, We may have a common enemy, but that does not make us allies.” He heard the second speaker's footsteps retreat from the room and he recognized the face of his Captain as he swiftly exited the room. Louis turned to the bookcase to catch the other man, but only caught a wisp of dark black hair before the man disappeared. Louis took a deep breath. Politics were commonly discussed between knights, but Louis did not care for them in the slightest. As long as his knights were loyal to his Captain, Louis felt secure. He turned his attention back to his book and continued to delve into Roman poetry. 

It did not take long for Louis to tire, as he spent the night prior locked in his green eyed knights embrace. He blushed thinking about the sweet kisses that they shared, and rose to replace the book and returned to his quarters. 

Once safe in this room, Louis pulled out a page of parchment and wrote out a short poem to his knight that he had read earlier in his book:

_For weal or woe I will not flee  
To love that heart that loveth me._

The rest of the poem was smudged in the book; blackened from being read and recited over and over again. Louis did not care for knowledge of the whole poem, as just those two lines recited what his heart yearned to say. 

Louis spent the rest of the week in the castle, sparring with the other knights and causing havoc in the stables with two of the knights closest to him; people he might even call friends. They riled up the horses and overindulged the colts with treats, but it was a welcomed distraction from the rising tensions in the castle. 

One evening Louis found himself alone in his quarters, bored out of his mind. His friends were in the Great Hall flirting unabashedly with some of the ladies, but Louis had no desire to join them. His heart belonged to someone else, and it was killing him that Harry was so busy with Captain training this week. He missed those long curly locks and bright green eyes, and he found himself staring up at the rafters wondering what Harry was up to right this minute. 

Soon, his thoughts reminded him of the political unrest between the two provinces. He wondered if Harry knew anything about it all. Louis was sure he did, as Harry was becoming an increasingly important part of Firenze’s army and he would surely be well knowledged on the subject. And maybe, just maybe, he would share what he knew with Louis. Louis trusted Harry enough that if he or his province were in significant danger, that Harry would warm him and protect him. 

Louis smiled fondly to himself as the thought of Harry protecting him bombarded his brain. Louis may be a strong, independent knight, but that did not mean that he would not enjoy being protected by his handsome green eyed knight. After all, Harry was quite a bit bigger than him. 

His thoughts then drift back to the kiss they shared the last time they met. Louis felt as though he was in heaven when Harry kissed him, and was over the moon excited to kiss his knight again when they saw each other next. Just then, a knock on his door startled him out of his thoughts. He sat up abruptly and opened his door. 

“A letter for you, sir.” A small stableboy places a neatly folded parchment in his hands, before turning and quickly walking back down the hall. Louis closes his door, and then looks at the paper in front of him. The writing is familiar, and Louis spares no time ripping open the seal and reading the letter

__

My Dear Knight, 

I am sorry that it has taken me so long to write to you. The busi-ness of the current developments in the castle have simply encaptured my time. I write to you now to remind you that I am still very much falling for you my knight. Nothing, not time, or space nor even politics can separate us as I know that you feel as deeply for me as I for you. My love, things have been faring well for me in the castle. I am still proposed for a promotion, although there are other strong contenders. I hope that this contest ends soon so I can be in your presence again. I hope that you have not missed me too much, although I must say I have missed you tremendously. I wish for nothing more than to look upon your handsome blue eyes and kiss your perfect lips. But, I will wait as long as I have to if it means you are safe. 

Yours,  
H

Louis smiled down at the letter before him. Somehow, Harry had found a way to send a love letter across provincial borders. He did not even fathom to know how Harry carried out such a task, but he was thankful nevertheless. 

Louis read the letter over again, drinking in the words from his love. He noticed that there were certain letters that were much darker and bolder than the others. After a quick scan of the letter, he noticed that there were fourteen letters to be exact that were darkened. Louis scrambled for a pen and parchment and copied the bolded letters until he unfolded a secret message: 

o r c h a r d t o n i g h t

Louis' heartbeat quickened at the knowledge of seeing his knight again. It had only been a few days, but Louis was desperate to be with his green eyed knight. 

That night Louis wasted no time getting to the orchard. He left the castle as soon as the sun set, and wandered aimlessly through the trees as he waited for Harry to show. He was not left waiting long however, as Harry emerged from the other side of the orchard a mere hour after Louis arrived. They shared a heartfelt hug and a kiss filled with longing and yearning before tucking away behind the familiar cluster of rocks. This shelter had become both of the knights favourite place in the world, as they allowed themselves to kiss and hold the other without fear of the outside world. 

The knights shared simple conversation that night of the events of each castle, filling the other in on what latest scandal the Lord’s had to deal with. Louis also filled Harry in on the increasingly worrying atmosphere that surrounded the province of Lucca as fear of a major battle loomed. Harry assured him that Firenze planned no such battle as of yet, but that there were strategic talks that Harry was not allowed to listen in on that may confirm the theory. Harry was not concerned about being disloyal to his province for sharing this information with another. If it meant that Louis was free and safe, Harry would do anything. 

Soon the knights were settled in the rocks. Louis was sat between Harry's thighs while Harry’s arms wrapped around the smaller knight. They had finished updating the other on gossip and were now simply silently enjoying the others presence. Louis turned his face up and placed a tender kiss on Harry’s neck before quietly reciting the lines from the poem he had read earlier; 

_“For weal or woe I will not flee  
To love that heart that loveth me.”_

Louis felt a flurry of light kisses placed on his neck, ear and cheek. Then, Harry surprised him by answering;

_“That heart my heart hath in such grace  
That of two hearts one heart make we;  
That heart hath brought my heart in case  
To love that heart that loveth me._

_For one the like unto that heart  
Never was, nor is, nor never shall be,  
Nor never like cause set this apart  
To love that heart that loveth me._

_Which cause giveth cause to me and mine  
To serve that heart of sovereignty,  
And still to sing this latter line:  
To love that heart that loveth me._

_Whatever I say, whatever I sing,  
Whatever I do, that heart shall see  
That I shall serve with heart loving  
That loving heart that loveth me._

_This knot thus knit, who shall untwine,  
Since we that knit it do agree  
To loose not nor slip, but both incline  
To love that heart that loveth me?_

_Farewell, of hearts that heart most fine,  
Farewell, dear heart, heartly to thee,  
And keep this heart of mine for thine  
As heart for heart, for loving me.”_

“You, know that poem?” Louis turned his head so he could see the small smile form on Harry’s lips. 

“Yes dear knight. It was a poem my mother sang to me to help me sleep. I have known it for ages.”  


“Oh, how incredible! I simply read it in a history book, but the rest of the pages were blackened and smudged and I did not know the rest! How beautiful!” Louis relaxed into the larger knights arms and closed his eyes as Harry began to sing. Soon the knights found themselves more relaxed than they ever could imagine themselves in a cold orchard, as they drifted off in each other's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

Tensions were rising between the provinces of Florence and Lucca. Over the next few weeks, the knights would be awoken at the early hours of morning to protect their borders. Louis and Harry found themselves in their precious orchard multiple times in the following month, but were rarely alone with the other. On the occasions that the two knights were able to sneak away during the few peaceful nights, they spend their time holding each other and whispering secrets into the others ear. The fear in their hearts for their safety grew with each rising tension and battle, and the only thing that would settle them was the reassurances whispered while tangled in each other's arms late at night. 

Louis was awoken one particular morning, the sounds of armour clanging and his Captain yelling pulling him out of his sweet dreams of Harry. Everything around him was fuzzy, as he tried his best to wipe away the sleepiness in his eyes. As he stepped out into the hallway, his eyes slowly focused and he noticed that the rest of his order was being awoken in the same fashion as he was a few moments earlier. He listened for a moment to see if he could hear the familiar sounds of battle; swords clashing, men yelling and the tolling of the large bell that was situated on top of the castle in one of the towers, but he heard nothing. He looked at the man on his right, and he had the same confused look on his face. 

“Must be a drill” Louis shrugged, as he quickly gathered up his armour and placed it over his chest. 

“Ah, I sure hope so!” The man to his right replied, “Although those Firenzien dogs will not hold off for long.” 

Louis slipped on his boots, before looking up and replying. “As long as they hold off long enough for me to get a good night's sleep,” a soft chuckle came out of his throat as he stood up, fully dressed for battle. 

The man laughed, “I daresay those dogs even sleep at night. I bet they spend all day practicing witchcraft and stealing crops from the peasants, those evil Firenze scum.” 

Louis did not respond, he just quickly flashed the man a small smile before running out the door to join his Captain in the courtyard. He did not believe those things that man had said about the people of Firenze. Harry was the kindest, sweetest and most charming man Louis had ever met, and he knew for certain that the only witchcraft Harry had participated in was stealing Louis' heart. 

The drill lasted hours, and the men were not finished until the sun had dipped low in the sky and it seemed as though nightfall was imminent. Louis was excited at the possibility of heading to the river to wash up, as he smelt like he had been submerged in a pit of mud and feces all day. As the Captain dismissed the knights, Louis jogged towards his quarters, to grab a fresh set of clothes for after his dip in the river. 

“Sir Louis!” He heard his name called and turned back to see Niall beckoning him over. 

“Yes Captain?” Louis wiped the confused look off his face and jogged over to Niall. He wondered what this could be about. Was he in trouble? Louis shook his head, as he knew that he had worked hard today and there was no reason for him to be punished. 

“I have a proposition for you lad.” Niall started as Louis reached him. “How would you feel about accompanying Lord Lugano on his journey to Siena in three days' time? You are one of the best knights in the entire province, and Lord Lugano wishes for you to be on the patrol for the journey.” The Captain clasped Louis on the back as he finished his sentence. “Will you accept my Lord’s request?” 

Louis was stunned. He was honoured that his Lord thought so highly of him as a knight. It was quite an honor to accompany his Lord on a journey, especially one as far as the Tuscan countryside. Accompanying a Lord meant that a knight was held in high esteem, and that the Lord trusted these knights with his life. In these very tense times, this offer was the highest honour a knight could be granted besides becoming Captain. 

However, there was also a high chance that Louis and his Lord would be ambushed on the road, and that could mean that Louis would have to risk his life for his Lord. This is what Louis had trained his whole life to do; he grew up here at the castle, starting as a lowly stable boy but slowly moving up the ranks until he was a well regarded knight. He knew that this was his chance not only to prove his loyalty to his Lord, but if this mission was successful, then he would be highly rewarded. 

Louis wished he could say that he said yes without any hesitation in his heart. However, the reality that his life would be at stake now held a whole new meaning. Now, Louis had someone to fight for. He had someone who he would sacrifice his everything for if it meant that he was safe and happy. Louis had Harry now, and he did not want to make a decision that would hurt the one he cared so deeply for. However, Louis did not have a choice. 

“Yes, It would be my great honour to accompany Lord Lugano on his journey to Tuscany, and I will protect him with my life.” Louis stood up straighter as Niall patted him on the back. 

“Good, we leave in a fortnight, but please be prepared to leave at any time if need be. We estimate that we will be in Siena for at least a fortnight and a half, but do not be surprised if negotiations are delayed. With politics, you never know how long it may take to come to a decision.” Niall clasped Louis on the back one last time before he walked away, back towards the castles courtyard. Louis jogged over to the river to wash up before the evening meal, his mind spinning as he thought of how he was going to leave Harry for so long. 

Louis spent the rest of the evening packing a small sack of extra clothes, wanting to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. His Lord is an extremely fickle Lord, and is known to change his plans spontaneously and expect others to be ready for him spontaneously. Louis also grabbed a few pieces of parchment and a stick of charcoal, which he rolled up and tucked in his bag next to his clothes. He knew that he had to write to Harry to update him as they had a difficult time being apart for longer than a day. As Louis tied up his bag he heard a rustling of the branches by his window, and turned to see a pigeon sitting on one of the branches, with a small piece of parchment tied to his neck. 

For the past few weeks, Harry had been training a pigeon he had got as a gift from his new Captain to deliver little poems and messages to Louis’ quarters. The pigeon was quite useful for the days that the knights had to spend apart, and Louis hoped that it would be smart enough to follow him to Siena so the knights could continue to communicate. 

“Hello good sir!” Louis kindly greeted the pigeon. “What do you have for me today?” Louis untied the ribbon at the bird's neck and unrolled the small piece of paper. Written on the inside was a short poem, followed by a note from Harry: 

_‘When I saw you I fell in love_

_And you smiled because you knew’_

_Louis,_

_I cannot go a day without thinking of you._

_\- H_

Louis smiled, and tucked the poem under his straw mattress, where a stack of parchements was hidden from prying eyes. He grabbed a new paper and quickly scribbled on it. 

_My love,_

_I have news_

_\- L_

He tied the new note onto the pigeon and gave it a small pat on the head before sending it off in the direction of Harry. Louis hoped that Harry would get the note before tonight, so that he was not ambushed with the news. Louis was not sure how he was going to tell Harry that he was leaving, but he knew he had to do it, and soon. 

Louis busied himself the rest of the evening in the library, reading a book of Greek poetry. Harry always sent him such lovely poems, and Louis struggled to find literature that matched how he felt. He kept thinking that his feelings were impossible to put into words, but perhaps he was just tongue tied. Finally, when the trees were dark and the halls quiet, Louis snuck out into the woods to meet his knight. 

Louis loved the excitement that came with jogging to meet up with Harry. His heart beat quickly and swiftly as he thought of being held in Harry’s strong arms, and having Harry whisper affections to him all night long. Even though they met up almost every night, this was both of the knights favourite part of the day. Louis picked up his pace as he saw the trees start to thin out, before opening up into the orchard where Harry stood, patiently waiting. 

“Lou, my sweet sweet Louis.” Harry embraced Louis and his lips brushed Louis' neck, which sent shivers down his spine. “I got the note that you sent. Tell me of your news.” Harry grabbed Louis' hand and grasped it tightly as he walked them over the cliff and positioned himself behind Louis. 

Harry wrapped his arms around Louis as he started to talk. “Harry, dear Harry. I am afraid that I will be away for quite some time. My Lord has requested that I accompany him to Siena. It is a fine honor, and I could not possibly turn it down.” 

Harry squeezed Louis tighter before replying, “Ah, yes that is quite the honor. My heart swells with pride for you my knight. However I must admit that it does pain me that you are leaving. My arms will miss you so.” 

Louis softly stroked Harry's arm. “I know, I do not wish to leave you. But I will do my best to lure the bird with me on the journey so I can continue to receive those wonderful poems.” Harry chuckled, and Louis felt the laugh vibrate warmly through his back and into his chest. He smiled, and continued to speak, “wherever do you get those poems anyways love? I have read many a poetry book and have struggled to find any poem as beautiful as the ones you send me.” Harry laughed again. 

“I wrote them, my darling.” Louis' breath caught in his throat “Every single word that is written to you comes from only one source.” Louis was awestruck. The beautiful words that Louis had read over and over again were not ancient literature, they were in fact Harry’s. This knowledge made Louis love them all the more. 

“Well, tis good that I kept them all then. I almost threw them in the fire for how embarrassing they were!” Louis joked and Harry laughed, his voice warm and full of mirth. Louis continued to joke with Harry, Harry responding with laughter after every phrase. They spend quite a few hours like that, laughing and joking feeling as carefree as can be. 

Louis awoke three days later to find a note pinned on his door. It was from Niall, and even though it was short it still struck fear into Louis heart:

_We leave at daybreak._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry it took me so long to update, life has really been hell recently. i wont have consistent update times as im in school and that c an be unpredictable, but I'll hopefully be writing more as this story is about to get interesting! thanks for reading!!


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